From Dreams to Tears
by Mandy Kay Miller
Summary: The history of Legolas and his older brother, and how he came to be the heir despite not being the oldest.
1. Lady Vedith

A/N: This story takes place a looooooooong time before FotR. Elf-ages are confusing to me, so I don't know how old they are, but Legolas looks about 9. And he has a sister named Celede And a big brother named Ural. Celede's the oldest. Have fun!!

URAL

"Prince Ural of Mirkwood, may I present to you Vedith, Princess of Dadroc."

"Welcome, Vedith," I said, pretending to be glad. Inside, however, I was very frustrated. The last thing I wanted to do was marry this stuck-up princess. I had never met her, but I knew she was just like the others. By the looks of her, she was worse than the last one.

Ah, the last one. Fiwen of Lankrod. She had been a true beauty. Darker skin than what was typical of most elves which matched her brown hair and brown eyes. It was too bad that she had to take my prank so seriously and leave so suddenly.

"My home is much more lovely than this," Vedith said with a hint of disgust.

I gritted my teeth and decided that she was definitely worse than Fiwen. And uglier, too.

"Can I show you to your room?"

"No thank you, I'll manage."

She looked at me expectantly and I returned the same look. Finally, she sighed. "My clothes, Prince Ural. Take in my clothes."

"Excuse me. I am your future husband, not your future attendant."

" 'Tis not the work of an attendant," Vedith said, picking up a case and handing it to me. "It's the work of a gentleman."

"If we're going to be married for eternity, you need to realize something about me," I replied. "I listen to one person: my father. And even _then_ I don't always yield."

I set her clothes down on the ground and headed back into the castle. I heard her yell after me, "How dare you! You're insufferable!" I smiled to myself.

~*~

Later that night we all sat around the table for dinner. Legolas, Celede, Vedith and I were on one side of the long table, and mother, father, and Vedith's father on the other side talking.

"Fiwen was prettier," Legolas said, breaking the silence at our side.

Celede seemed more offended than Vedith. "Legolas! Apologize now!"

I could tell Legolas was about to, but I didn't want him to. He should be able to speak his mind. "But it's true," I agreed. Vedith glared at me.

"Not only is your kingdom ugly," she said. "But it holds the rudest elves I've ever met."

"We're not rude," I said. "We're honest. Is that such a bad quality?"

"Why, I should-"

"Ural," Celede cut in. "Mother and father will be furious with you if-"

"I don't care about them," I replied.

"You should."

"Yes, Prince Ural," Vedith agreed. "A citizen's best quality is loyalty to it's Lord."

"You are confusing a citizen with a prince."

"I am confusing a citizen with a rat!" she spat. Then she stood. "Excuse me, I'm not hungry anymore." She stalked away.

"Are all princesses as sensitive as her?" Legolas asked. "It will probably only take one trick before-"

"She isn't leaving," Celede said. "This one is for sure, no matter how many tricks you pull or how much she wants to run away. Father said so. No more princesses getting sent over here for visits. Vedith is the one."

I smiled. Legolas was right. It wouldn't take more than two pranks to send her home. And if father seriously meant no more, then I would never marry. That would increase my chance of accomplishing my dream.

"I do tire of these arrogant princesses," I said. "I'll be relieved when it's over."

"This is childish, Ural."

"Childish?" I demanded. "Of course not. Don't be absurd."

"It is!" Celede insisted. "As a princess, I've experienced what she'll be going through. You think you're the only prince in Middle-Earth that plays these games?"

Legolas's eyes lit up and he was suddenly interested again. "Princes play jokes on you?"

Celede rolled her eyes. "Uncountable times."

"Like what?" He was excited now.

"That doesn't matter. Now, finally, I've found a nice, mature Elvish prince that I will marry."

"I have no pity for you, sister," I said.

"You should! It's torture, each trip."

"Don't yell at me, please. You remind me of Vedith, and I'm desperately trying to forget her."

Legolas chuckled.

Celede shook her head and stood. "I must talk with her."

"Wait!" I said quickly. "What are we to tell mother and father?"

Celede was angry now. I could tell by her face and her forceful voice. "Tell them that _you_ offended yet another princess and that I went to apologize on your behalf."

"But Celede, father'll be furious with me."

"Maybe you deserve it."


	2. The Past 1,000 Years

CELEDE

"Lady Vedith?" I asked at her door.

"Go away! I'm not hungry," came the pouty reply.

"May I come in?"

"No."

I sighed and opened the door. I'd only asked to be polite, but I intended to come in no matter what. I pitied her… I knew how she felt. I'd gone through the same process of hopping from one kingdom to another with tricks played on me at each stop. Poor Vedith. Ural hadn't even done anything to her yet.

"I told you to stay away," Vedith said. "I'll have nothing to do with Ural or his family."

"How do you plan on avoiding your husband once you are married?"

"Don't call him that!" she snapped. "It… it's painful for me."

I smiled. "He isn't so bad if you get used to him."

"He's sickening. I'd sooner marry a dwarf."

"No, he's just-"

"Him and all of you Mirkwood pigs!"

My smile disappeared. She was talking about my kingdom… my people. I loved them so much.

I began to get angry. "I'll have you know that Mirkwood is the greatest-"

"If you only came to talk to me, then you have accomplished that much. You may go."

I didn't know what to say to that. Now she was trying to order me around? Yet, I wanted to go. Before I made any permanent damage between Mirkwood and Dadroc.

I turned. "All right, then. But just remember that this marriage is for sure. You might as well get used to him."

"I will not put up with him," she said firmly.

I smiled. "That's what I've been saying for the past 1,000 years. It doesn't work."


	3. Cleaning Stables

URAL

"It was childish," father said in the throne room that night before I went to bed. He was very angry with me for offending Vedith. I told him that she wasn't hungry and left, but he knew me much better than that. He knew that I'd offended her and he was now giving me another lecture.

"It was irresponsible," he continued. He was starting to sound like Celede. "It was immature. And it is also quite frustrating to me. You are the heir to the throne. I mustn't have you acting in a way that-"

"Father," I said. "She-"

"Do _not_ interrupt me!" his voice boomed.

I hung my head. "Yes, father."

"Now, I know that-"

I looked up and he stopped talking. He knew I wanted to say something.

"What is it?"

I cleared my throat. "Father, I have no desire for the throne. Surely Legolas would make a fine ruler."

"And what of you? You would go running around in the wilderness like a Ranger?"

"Yes." Father knew very well that I wanted to be a Ranger. He simply didn't care. He thought the idea was absurd, mostly because I was the eldest son. The fact that I was an elf surely didn't help. Rangers were only Men.

"No!"

"But Legolas-"

"Legolas is the youngest child! He cannot lead! No, I must have _you_ on the throne. You may go."

"I-"

"_You. May. GO_."

I sighed and left the room. In the hallway stood Legolas, near the door. The look on his face showed that he'd been listening.

"Ural?" he asked in a small voice. "Can… can I lead?"

"Of course you can," I replied. I knew why he asked. He'd heard father say that he couldn't.

"But I'm the youngest."

I felt bad for him, so I gave him a smile. It was forced, but I don't think he could tell. "That doesn't matter. You can do anything if you really want to."

"But… I wasn't made to lead. That's what mother says. Maybe I was made to clean the stables."

"You are royalty, you weren't made to clean the stables." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Let's go to the library where we can talk."


	4. Follow Your Dreams

"Do you want to marry Vedith?" Legolas asked his brother in the library that night.

Ural laughed. "Of course not. No one ever _wants_ to marry, Legolas. I don't even want the throne – I never have. I spend most of my time wondering how to get out of it."

"Won't you get lonely without a wife?"

Ural shook his head. "Rangers don't get lonely."

"But you're not a Ranger!"

Ural turned to look Legolas straight in the face. "I _will_ be. Listen: if there is something you want more than anything and go after it, you'll get it."

Legolas blinked. "Really?"

"Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even father."

Legolas was amazed at his older brother's wisdom. "So… if I wanted to be the best archer in Mirkwood, I would be?"

Ural laughed. "That's not nearly how it works. It won't be handed to you, you have to want it bad enough to work hard for it. But certainly, if you work as hard as you can, then it will happen."

"How are you going to be a Ranger?" Legolas asked. "No elf has ever been a Ranger before."

"I have to talk to father. But first, I have to think of what to tell him. If I left, you would be the heir."

Legolas couldn't help but get a little excited at the thought. Heir? Then later he would be Legolas, the King of Mirkwood!

"Wow," he breathed. "I would rule the best kingdom in Middle Earth! My reign would never be forgotten."

Ural smiled at his brother's determination. "I have no doubt of that. You would make a fine ruler someday, but don't get your hopes up. I must first convince father." Ural paused and yawned. "Now come, it's time for bed."

A/N: sorry it's short, but I'll update again soon.


	5. By Men

The next day Legolas walked into the throne room hopefully. He wanted to go and visit Arwen in Rivendell today. Maybe, if he was lucky, his father would let him.

But when Legolas walked in and saw Thranduil's anger and tears, he'd forgotten why he was there entirely. "Father?" he asked.

Thranduil looked to his son. He had to tell Legolas, but didn't know if he could bear it. In his hand he held Ural's knife.

"Legolas," he said. "Do you know where your brother is?"

Legolas blinked. "He went out for a ride on his horse. Why?"

"He was killed by Men this morning." There was a pause while Legolas let it sink in. Then Thranduil said angrily, "I've told him a thousand times to stay in the castle! If he would only listen to me-"

"Father," Legolas interrupted. "He did not mean to disobey you. He only wanted to be a ranger."

"Ranger?! Nonsense!" He sighed. "Now… he is gone. And all because he did not listen."

"He is NOT gone because of that," Legolas argued. "He is gone because he wanted something… he had a dream. And he worked hard for it." Tears began to come to Legolas's eyes, remembering their talk the night before.

"That sounds like something he would say."

Legolas allowed a single tear to fall. Ural wasn't simply a brother… he was a friend. And one of the wisest people Legolas knew.

"Maybe he would," Legolas said. "Maybe if he were here and you yelled at him, he would say just that."

Thranduil noticed Legolas's fragile state and lowered his once-raised voice. "What are you trying to say, son?" he asked gently.

Legolas shook his head. "I don't know. But someone must speak for him."

"Go do your lessons."

"But father!"

Thranduil's anger suddenly flared. "Listen to me!" he snapped. "Go! NOW!"

Legolas looked to the ground, ashamed. "I'm sorry, father," he said. He turned and walked away.

THE END

(My teacher hates it when I write "the end" at the end of my stories, but everyone's always like "update soon!" and I'm thinking "The story's done!" so I just had to do that.)


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